Shopping cart

Abstract

To provide a shopping cart which can be folded easily.SOLUTION: A shopping cart 10 includes: a first frame 11 in which front wheels 16 are attached to a lower end part and a handle is provided at an upper end side; and a second frame 12 in which rear wheels 19 are attached to a lower end part. The first frame 11 and the second frame 12 intersect with each other so as to form a substantially X shape in a side view and are rotatably connected at intersection parts 38 to be switchable between a deployment state and a folded state. The shopping cart 10 includes a basket placement part 15 which is provided across the respective frames 11, 12 above the intersection parts 38 and on which a shopping basket is placed. The basket placement part 15 can spring up to the first frame 11 side. The shopping cart 10 includes an interlock mechanism which switches the respective frames 11, 12 from the deployment state to the folded state in conjunction with the basket placement part 15 being switched from a placeable state to a spring up state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a shopping cart.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a shopping cart used for carrying purchased goods in a store such as a supermarket is known. Some shopping carts have a basket mounting portion for mounting a shopping basket provided in the store. With such a shopping cart, in the store, by placing the shopping basket on the basket mounting portion, it can be used as a shopping cart.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a shopping cart having a basket mounting portion. The shopping cart of Patent Document 1 includes a first frame with front wheels attached to the lower end and a handle provided at the upper end, and a second frame with rear wheels attached to the lower end. The first frame and the second frame are arranged to intersect each other so as to form an X shape in a side view, and are rotatably connected at the intersecting portion. Thereby, each frame can be switched between an expanded state in which they are expanded back and forth and a folded state in which they are folded back and forth by rotating relative to each other.

[0004] In the shopping cart of Patent Document 1, the basket mounting portion is provided across the respective frames above the intersecting portion of the first frame and the second frame. The rear end portion of the basket mounting portion is rotatably attached to the first frame, and a regulating piece that can be locked to a locking portion provided on the second frame is attached to the front end side. In this case, when the regulating piece of the basket mounting portion is locked to the locking portion of the second frame, the basket mounting portion is held in a state of straddling the respective frames. Also, by removing the regulating piece from the locking portion and rotating the basket mounting portion downward, the basket mounting portion can be folded along the first frame. Thereby, in the shopping cart of Patent Document 1, by folding each frame into a folded state and folding the basket mounting portion along the first frame, the entire cart can be folded.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] By the way, in the shopping cart of the above Patent Document 1, when folding the cart, first, the regulating piece of the basket mounting part is removed from the locking part of the second frame, and the basket mounting part is rotated downward. Then, it is necessary to shift each frame from the folded state to the unfolded state. That is, when folding the shopping cart, it is necessary to perform the operation of rotating the basket mounting part downward and the operation of folding each frame respectively. Therefore, it is considered that the folding operation of the cart is time-consuming.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the main object thereof is to provide a shopping cart that can easily perform the folding operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the shopping cart of the first invention includes a first frame with a front wheel attached to the lower end and a handle provided on the upper end side, and a second frame with a rear wheel attached to the lower end. The first frame and the second frame are arranged to intersect each other so as to form a substantially X shape in a side view, and are rotatably connected at the intersecting portion, so that it can be switched between an unfolded state extended front and rear and a folded state folded front and rear. Further, it is a shopping cart provided with a basket placement portion provided across the first frame and the second frame above the intersecting portion, on which a shopping basket is placed. The basket placement portion can be switched between a first state in which a shopping basket can be placed and a second state in which the placement portion of the shopping basket faces the rear. In conjunction with the switching of the basket placement portion from the first state to the second state, the first frame and the second frame are switched from the unfolded state to the folded state, or, in conjunction with the switching of the first frame and the second frame from the unfolded state to the folded state, the basket placement portion is switched from the first state to the second state, and it is provided with an interlocking mechanism.

[0009] According to the first invention, when the basket placement portion is switched from the first state in which a shopping basket can be placed to the second state in which the placement portion of the shopping basket faces the rear, the first frame and the second frame are switched from the unfolded state to the folded state in conjunction therewith. Or, when the first frame and the second frame are switched from the unfolded state to the folded state, the basket placement portion is switched from the first state to the second state in conjunction therewith. Thereby, the folding operation of the shopping cart can be easily performed.

[0010] The shopping cart of the second invention is the shopping cart of the first invention, wherein the interlocking mechanism has a displacement mechanism that displaces the basket placement portion downward when the basket placement portion is switched from the first state to the second state or after the switching.

[0011] Considering the ease of loading items into the shopping basket, the basket placement part for placing the shopping basket is preferably located at a relatively high position. However, if this is the case, when the basket placement part is switched from the first state to the second state, the basket placement part may protrude above the first frame. In that case, there may be inconveniences such as an increase in the height of the shopping cart when folded, making it difficult to move the shopping cart.

[0012] In this regard, in the second invention, when the basket placement part is switched from the first state to the second state, or after the switching, the basket placement part can be displaced downward. Therefore, when the basket placement part is in the second state, it is possible to suppress the basket placement part from protruding above the first frame. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the height of the cart when folded, and thus suppress the occurrence of the above-mentioned inconveniences.

[0013] In the shopping cart of the third invention, in the first or second invention, the interlocking mechanism is provided on the first frame, and a first connecting part to which the basket placement part is rotatably connected so as to be able to switch the basket placement part from the first state to the second state, a second connecting part provided on the second frame, to which the basket placement part is rotatably connected so as to be able to switch the basket placement part from the first state to the second state, and a guiding passage provided on the basket placement part for guiding one of the first connecting part and the second connecting part to the other connecting part side. As the basket placement part is switched from the first state to the second state, the first frame and the second frame are switched from the unfolded state to the folded state by the displacement of the one connecting part along the guiding passage to the other connecting part side.

[0014] According to the third invention, the basket placement part can be interlocked with the first frame and the second frame without using a link member. As a result, such interlocking can be achieved while avoiding the complication of the configuration due to the use of a link member.

[0015] The shopping cart of the fourth invention is, in the third invention, the guiding passage is a passage for guiding the first connecting portion toward the second connecting portion side, and as the basket placing portion is switched from the first state to the second state, the first connecting portion is displaced along the guiding passage toward the second connecting portion side, so that the first frame and the second frame are switched from the deployed state to the folded state.

[0016] According to the fourth invention, when the basket placing portion is switched from the first state to the second state, the first connecting portion is displaced along the guiding passage of the basket placing portion toward the second connecting portion side. In this case, the basket placing portion is displaced rearward and downward with respect to the first connecting portion. Therefore, the same effect as that of the second invention can be obtained.

[0017] The shopping cart of the fifth invention is, in the fourth invention, the guiding passage has a first passage portion linearly extending in the front-rear direction and a second passage portion bending downward from the rear end portion of the first passage portion, and when the basket placing portion is in the first state, the first connecting portion is located at the end portion on the side opposite to the first passage portion in the second passage portion.

[0018] In the fourth invention above, it is assumed that when the basket placing portion is switched from the first state to the second state, the basket placing portion protrudes rearward of the first frame. Therefore, in the fifth invention, in view of that point, the guiding passage is configured to have a linear first passage portion and a second passage portion bending downward from the rear end portion of the first passage portion. In this case, when the basket placing portion is switched from the first state to the second state, first, the first connecting portion is displaced upward along the second passage portion. At this time, while the rear end side of the basket placing portion is displaced downward, the basket placing portion moves to the second state side, so that the basket placing portion can be smoothly moved to the second state side while suppressing the basket placing portion from protruding rearward of the first frame.

[0019] The shopping cart of the sixth invention is, in the fourth or fifth invention, a protruding portion protruding forward is provided at an intermediate portion of the first frame, and the first connecting portion is provided at the protruding portion.

[0020] According to the sixth invention, since the first connection portion is provided at the projecting portion that projects forward in the first frame, when the basket placement portion is switched from the first state to the second state, it is possible to suppress the rear end side of the basket placement portion from protruding rearward beyond the first frame.

[0021] The shopping cart according to the seventh invention is the shopping cart according to any one of the third to sixth inventions, wherein the basket placement portion has a pair of left and right arms extending in the front-rear direction and a bridging frame provided across the respective arms, and the guide passages are respectively provided on the inner sides in the left-right direction of the respective arms.

[0022] According to the seventh invention, since the guide passages are provided on the respective arms of the basket placement portion, the interlocking between the basket placement portion and the first frame and the second frame can be performed in a stable state. Further, since the guide passages are provided on the inner sides in the left-right direction of the respective arms, it is possible to prevent a hand from touching the connecting portion that is displaced along the guide passages.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 6

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Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] 〔First Embodiment〕 Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the shopping cart 10 in a deployed state, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the shopping cart 10 in a folded state. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the bag 13 is shown in a state removed from the shopping cart 10. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the shopping cart 10 in a deployed state, and FIG. 5 is a side view showing the shopping cart 10 in a folded state. In FIGS. 4 and 5, for convenience, the bag 13 and the shopping basket K are shown by a two-dot chain line.

[0025] In the following description, the moving direction when moving the shopping cart 10 in the deployed state is defined as the front-rear direction, and the direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction. Also, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, it refers to the configuration of the shopping cart 10 in the deployed state.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the shopping cart 10 includes a first frame 11 and a second frame 12 that constitute the framework of the cart 10, a bag 13 for storing purchased items (goods), a bag support portion 14 for supporting the bag 13, and a basket placement portion 15 for placing the shopping basket K. According to this shopping cart 10, in a store such as a supermarket, it can be used as a shopping cart by placing the shopping basket K on the basket placement portion 15. Also, after shopping, the purchased items can be stored in the bag 13 and carried home.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 form a frame shape in a front view and intersect and are arranged so as to form a substantially X shape in a side view. The first frame 11 extends obliquely rearward, and the second frame 12 extends obliquely forward. A front wheel 16 is attached to the lower end portion of the first frame 11, and handles 17 and 18 are provided on the upper end side. A rear wheel 19 is attached to the lower end portion of the second frame 12. The first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are rotatably connected at an intersection where they intersect, and by this rotation, it is possible to switch between an unfolded state (the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) that unfolds forward and backward and a folded state (the state shown in FIGS. 3 and 5) that is folded forward and backward. Note that the front wheel 16 and the rear wheel 19 correspond to "wheels". Further, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 constitute a "main body frame".

[0028] The first frame 11 includes a lower frame 21, an upper frame 22 disposed above the lower frame 21, and a pair of left and right connectors 23 that connect the lower frame 21 and the upper frame 22. Both the lower frame 21 and the upper frame 22 extend obliquely rearward, and the inclination directions thereof are the same.

[0029] The lower frame 21 includes a pair of left and right leg frames 25 and a horizontal frame 26 that connects the upper end portions of the respective leg frames 25. The leg frame 25 is formed of a metal pipe material or bar material. The front wheel 16 is attached to the lower end portion of each leg frame 25 via a bracket 28. Further, a connector 23 is provided at the upper end portion of each leg frame 25. Each connector 23 is formed of, for example, a resin material. The upper end portion of the leg frame 25 is inserted into an insertion hole 23a provided in the connector 23 and is fixed to the connector 23 in the inserted state.

[0030] The horizontal frame 26 is formed by a bar extending in the left - right direction, specifically a round bar. The horizontal frame 26 penetrates each connecting tool 23 in the left - right direction and is connected to the leg frame 25 inside each of those connecting tools 23. The horizontal frame 26 protrudes outward in the left - right direction from each leg frame 25, and each of those protruding parts is a protruding portion 26a.

[0031] The upper frame 22 has a pair of left - right support frames 31 and a handle frame 32 provided across the upper ends of the respective support frames 31. The support frame 31 is formed of a metal pipe material or bar. The support frame 31 extends obliquely backward in the same direction as the leg frame 25 of the lower frame 21. Also, the lower end of the support frame 31 is inserted into an insertion hole 23b provided in the connecting tool 23 and is fixed to the connecting tool 23 in the inserted state.

[0032] In the connecting tool 23, the insertion hole 23b is formed at a position shifted backward with respect to the insertion hole 23a of the leg frame 25. Thereby, the support frame 31 inserted into the insertion hole 23b is arranged in a state shifted backward with respect to the leg frame 25 inserted into the insertion hole 23a, and thus the upper frame 22 is arranged in a state shifted backward with respect to the lower frame 21. And in that shifted state, the lower frame 21 and the upper frame 22 are connected by the connecting tool 23. Also, each connecting tool 23 is provided with a frame - side placement portion 24 on which the shopping basket K is placed.

[0033] The handle frame 32 is formed of a resin material and has a pair of upper and lower frame portions 32a and 32b that extend horizontally across the upper ends of the respective support frames 31. Of these frame portions 32a and 32b, the upper frame portion 32a forms the upper handle 17, and the lower frame portion 32b forms the lower handle 18. These handles 17 and 18 are the portions that are gripped by the user when moving the shopping cart 10. Of these handles 17 and 18, the upper handle 17 is the portion that is gripped when the shopping cart 10 is deployed (see FIG. 2), and the lower handle 18 is the portion that is gripped when the shopping cart 10 is folded (see FIG. 3). When the shopping cart 10 is deployed, it is moved forward while holding the upper handle 17 and pushing the shopping cart 10. On the other hand, when the shopping cart 10 is folded, it is moved backward while holding the lower handle 18 and pulling the shopping cart 10.

[0034] The second frame 12 has a pair of left and right leg frames 35 and a pair of upper and lower horizontal frames 36 and 37 that connect the respective leg frames 35. All of these frames 35 to 37 are formed of a metal pipe material or bar material. Each leg frame 35 extends obliquely forward, and a rear wheel 19 is attached to the lower end thereof. Also, each leg frame 35 intersects the leg frame 25 of the first frame 11 in an X shape at an intermediate portion. An axial portion 39 that extends in the left-right direction is provided at the intersection portion 38 where the leg frames 25 and 35 intersect. The leg frames 25 and 35 are rotatably connected via the axial portion 39, and thus the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are rotatably connected. As a result, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 can be switched between a deployed state and a folded state by rotation about the axial portion 39. Also, of these horizontal frames 36 and 37, the lower horizontal frame 36 connects the lower ends of the respective leg frames 35, and the upper horizontal frame 37 connects the upper ends of the respective leg frames 35.

[0035] Next, the bag 13 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 in addition to FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the bag 13 in (a) and an exploded perspective view showing the respective parts of the bag 13 disassembled in (b).

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the bag 13 is formed in a vertically long substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the vertical direction. The bag 13 has a box-shaped bag body 41, covers 42 and 43, and an inner bag 44 provided inside the bag body 41.

[0037] The bag body 41 has a pair of left and right side plate portions 41a facing each other, a back plate portion 41b provided across the rear end portions of the respective side plate portions 41a, and a bottom portion 41c provided across the lower end portions of the respective side plate portions 41a and the back plate portion 41b. The front portion of the bag body 41 is open forward, and the opening is the front opening 45. Also, the upper surface portion of the bag body 41 is open upward, and the opening is the upper opening 46. The front opening 45 and the upper opening 46 are formed continuously with each other. Note that the "opening" is constituted by the front opening 45 and the upper opening 46. Also, the front portion of the upper opening 46 is an inclined opening 46a. The inclined opening 46a has an opening surface that is inclined downward toward the front. Note that the entire upper opening 46 may be the inclined opening 46a.

[0038] The covers 42 and 43 include a front cover 42 that covers the front opening 45 and an upper cover 43 that covers the upper opening 46. These covers 42 and 43 are formed of a cloth material. The front cover 42 has a pair of overlapping portions 42a that are overlapped on the outer surfaces of the respective side plate portions 41a of the bag body 41. These overlapping portions 42a are joined to the side plate portions 41a via surface fasteners 51, and by this joining, the front cover 42 is detachably attached to the side plate portions 41a. Also, the upper cover 43 has a pair of overlapping portions 43a that are overlapped on the outer surfaces of the respective side plate portions 41a of the bag body 41. These overlapping portions 43a are joined to the side plate portions 41a via surface fasteners 52, and by this joining, the upper cover 43 is detachably attached to the side plate portions 41a. Thus, by removing or opening the covers 42 and 43, it is possible to take things in and out of the bag 13 through the front opening 45 and the upper opening 46.

[0039] The inner bag 44 has a box-shaped main body 55 and a plurality of shelf portions 56 provided inside the main body 55. The main body 55 has a shape that is slightly smaller than the bag main body 41, and it is possible to accommodate the purchased items inside. The main body 55, like the bag main body 41, has a pair of left and right side plate portions 55a facing each other, a back plate portion 55b provided across the rear end portions of the respective side plate portions 55a, and a bottom portion 55c provided across the lower end portions of the respective side plate portions 55a and the back plate portion 55b. A handle 58 is attached to the upper end side of each side plate portion 55a.

[0040] The shelf portions 56 are formed in a square dish shape and a plurality (specifically, two) are arranged vertically. It is possible to place the purchased items on each shelf portion 56. Each shelf portion 56 is provided spanning across each side plate portion 55a of the main body 55. Each shelf portion 56 is detachably attached to each side plate portion 55a, and it is possible to change its attachment height up and down.

[0041] The inner bag 44 is provided so as to be removable from inside the bag main body 41. When taking out the inner bag 44 from the bag main body 41, the front opening 45 and the upper opening 46 are opened by removing or opening the covers 42, 43, and the inner bag 44 is taken out through these opened openings 45, 46. Also, at this time, the inner bag 44 is taken out by holding each handle 58. Thus, in the bag 13 of this embodiment, since the inner bag 44 can be taken out, for example, after shopping and returning home, it is possible to take out the inner bag 44 from the bag main body 41 at the entrance and carry only the inner bag 44 to the indoor side. Also, although not shown in the drawings, wheels are attached to the lower end portion of the inner bag 44 (main body 55), and it is possible to move the inner bag 44 using those wheels when moving it.

[0042] Subsequently, the bag support portion 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the bag support portion 14 has a lower support portion 61 that supports the lower part of the bag 13 and an upper support portion 62 that supports the upper part of the bag 13. The lower support portion 61 is formed by bending a metal bar 61a. The lower support portion 61 is provided on the lower end side of the first frame 11 (lower frame 21) and is disposed between the leg frames 25 of the lower frame 21. Brackets 28 for the front wheels 16 are provided on both the left and right sides sandwiching the lower support portion 61. The lower support portion 61 is fixed to the leg frames 25 via those brackets 28.

[0044] The lower support portion 61 has a placement portion 63 for placing the bag 13 and a receiving portion 64 for receiving the bag 13 from the rear. The placement portion 63 is formed by bending the bar 61a into a U-shape so as to be open to the rear. The receiving portion 64 is formed by bending the bar 61a into a U-shape so as to be open downward. The rear end portion of the placement portion 63 and the lower end portion of the receiving portion 64 are connected to each other. In this case, the placement portion 63 and the receiving portion 64 are connected so as to form an L-shape in a side view.

[0045] The lower support portion 61 is disposed in a state inclined rearward. In this case, in a side view, the placement portion 63 is inclined upward toward the front, and the receiving portion 64 is inclined rearward upward. As a result, the bag 13 is placed on the placement portion 63 in a state inclined rearward and is received from the rear by the receiving portion 64.

[0046] Leg portions 66 are attached to the placement portion 63 of the lower support portion 61. The leg portions 66 are formed by bending a bar into a U-shape so as to be open upward. The leg portions 66 extend downward from the front end side of the placement portion 63, and the upper end portions thereof are fixed to the placement portion 63. Specifically, the leg portions 66 are inclined forward downward, and the lower end portions thereof are spaced upward from the ground surface G (floor surface or ground).

[0047] When the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are in the folded state, the legs 66 extend vertically downward, and the lower ends thereof are grounded on the ground surface G (see FIG. 5). At the same time, the front wheels 16 are separated upward from the ground surface G. Thereby, in the folded state of each frame 11, 12, the rear wheels 19 and the legs 66 are placed on the ground surface G, so that the shopping cart 10 can stand on its own. Note that the legs 66 correspond to the "grounding portion".

[0048] The upper support portion 62 is formed in a belt shape extending in the left - right direction, and is provided so as to be bridged over each connecting member 23 below the basket placing portion 15. The upper support portion 62 is integrally formed of a resin material together with each connecting member 23, for example. By this upper support portion 62, the upper part of the bag 13 inclined rearward is received from the rear. In this way, the lower support portion 61 and the upper support portion 62 support the bag 13 in a state inclined rearward. Further, the bag 13 is disposed between the leg frames 25 of the first frame 11 in such a supported state, and is inclined rearward along the inclination of those leg frames 25. Note that the upper support portion 62 and the receiving portion 64 each correspond to the "receiving portion".

[0049] Next, in addition to FIG. 2, the basket placing portion 15 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the basket placing portion 15 in (a), and a perspective view of the periphery of the arm 71 of the basket placing portion 15 as viewed from the inner side in the left - right direction in (b).

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7(a), the basket placement portion 15 is formed in a frame shape. The basket placement portion 15 is provided straddling the frames 11 and 12 above the intersection portion 38 where the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 intersect. In this case, the basket placement portion 15 is provided straddling the upper end side of the lower frame 21 of the first frame 11 and the upper end side of the second frame 12. The basket placement portion 15 has a pair of left and right arms 71 extending in the front-rear direction, a connecting frame 72 connecting the respective arms 71, and a front end frame 73 provided across the front end portions of the respective arms 71. Note that the connecting frame 72 and the front end frame 73 correspond to the "erection frame".

[0051] Each arm 71 is formed of a resin material and has a concave portion 75 that is open to the inner side in the left-right direction. Specifically, each arm 71 is provided with a peripheral wall portion 76 that protrudes inward in the left-right direction from the entire peripheral edge of its inner surface, and the inside surrounded by the peripheral wall portion 76 is the concave portion 75.

[0052] The connecting frame 72 has a pair of fixed frames 78 fixed to the inner surfaces of the respective arms 71 and a horizontal frame 79 bridged over the respective fixed frames 78. These frames 78 and 79 are formed of a metal pipe material or bar material. Each fixed frame 78 extends in the front-rear direction and is accommodated in the concave portion 75 of the arm 71.

[0053] Both ends of the horizontal frame 79 are fixed to the middle portions of the respective fixed frames 78. The upper surface portion of the horizontal frame 79 is a placement portion on which the shopping basket K is placed. In this shopping cart 10, the shopping basket K is placed so as to straddle the upper surface portion of the horizontal frame 79 and the upper surface portion of the frame-side placement portion 24 of each connecting tool 23.

[0054] The front frame 73 is formed in a rod shape extending in the left - right direction by a resin material. A handle portion 81 is provided at the central portion of the front frame 73. As will be described later, the basket placement portion 15 can be flipped upward, and the handle portion 81 serves as a portion to be gripped during the flipping upward. The front frame 73 is bent so as to be recessed forward at its central portion, and the handle portion 81 is formed by the recessed portion. Note that a handle portion separate from the front frame 73 may be attached to the central portion of the front frame 73.

[0055] A pair of stoppers 82 protruding upward are provided on both the left and right sides of the front frame 73 with the handle portion 81 interposed therebetween. These stoppers 82 are for preventing the shopping basket K placed on the basket placement portion 15 from slipping forward and falling off.

[0056] The basket placement portion 15 is disposed above the bag 13 supported by the bag support portion 14. Specifically, the basket placement portion 15 is disposed directly above the bag 13, and the distance between the basket placement portion 15 and the bag 13 in the vertical direction is 10 cm or less. An opening region 84 that opens above the upper opening 46 of the bag 13 is formed in the basket placement portion 15. This opening region 84 is a rectangular region surrounded by each arm 71, the horizontal frame 79 of the connecting frame 72, and the horizontal frame 26 of the second frame 12. In this shopping cart 10, by opening the upper cover 43 of the bag 13 to open the upper opening 46 (see Fig. 6(a)), it is possible to take things in and out of the bag 13 through the opening region 84 from the upper opening 46. Note that the opening region 84 has a front - to - rear dimension of 10 cm or more and a left - to - right dimension of 20 cm or more. Also, the upper opening 46 corresponds to the "take - out port".

[0057] Here, in the shopping cart 10 of the present embodiment, the basket placement portion 15 can be flipped upward rearward, that is, toward the first frame 11 side (specifically, the upper frame 22 side). And by this flipping upward, the basket placement portion 15 is retracted from above the bag 13 supported by the bag support portion 14. Specifically, the basket placement portion 15 can be switched between a placeable state (the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) where a shopping basket K can be placed and a flipped-up state (the state shown in FIGS. 3 and 5) flipped upward toward the first frame 11 side. Thereby, in this shopping cart 10, by making the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 in a folded state and the basket placement portion 15 in a flipped-up state, it is possible to make the shopping cart 10 as a whole in a folded state. Note that the placeable state of the basket placement portion 15 corresponds to the "first state", and the flipped-up state corresponds to the "second state". Also, in the flipped-up state, the placement portion (specifically, the upper surface portion of the horizontal frame 79) of the basket placement portion 15 faces rearward.

[0058] In the shopping cart 10, a linkage mechanism 90 is provided that switches the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 from the deployed state to the folded state in conjunction with the switching of the basket placement portion 15 from the placeable state to the flipped-up state. In the following, the linkage mechanism 90 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 8 is a side view of (a) the arm 71 of the basket placement portion 15 as viewed from the inner side in the left-right direction, and (b) a cross-sectional perspective view of the rear end side of the arm 71 as viewed from the inner side in the left-right direction together with its peripheral members. In FIG. 8(a), for reference, the fixed frame 78 of the connecting frame 72 is shown by a two-dot chain line.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 7(a), (b) and FIG. 8(a), the linkage mechanism 90 includes a first guide passage 91 and a second guide passage 92 provided on the arm 71 of the basket placement portion 15, a first shaft portion 93 provided on the first frame 11, and a second shaft portion 94 provided on the second frame 12. In FIG. 8(a), for convenience of explanation, the first shaft portion 93 and the second shaft portion 94 are shown with dot hatching.

[0060] The first guide passage 91 and the second guide passage 92 are provided for each arm 71 and are formed inside the arms 71 in the left-right direction. Each of the guide passages 91, 92 is a groove-shaped passage that is open to the inside in the left-right direction. Specifically, on the inner surface of each arm 71, a passage wall portion 95 that forms the first guide passage 91 and a passage wall portion 96 that forms the second guide passage 92 are respectively provided in a protruding manner. The passage wall portion 95 is formed so as to surround the first guide passage 91, and the passage wall portion 96 is formed so as to surround the second guide passage 92.

[0061] Both the first guide passage 91 and the second guide passage 92 extend in the front-rear direction and are inclined downward toward the rear. The guide passages 91, 92 are arranged side by side vertically, and specifically, they are arranged adjacent to each other vertically. Among the guide passages 91, 92, the first guide passage 91 is located on the lower side, and the second guide passage 92 is located on the upper side.

[0062] The first guide passage 91 has a horizontal passage portion 91a that extends in the front-rear direction and a vertical passage portion 91b that extends upward short from the rear end portion of the horizontal passage portion 91a. The horizontal passage portion 91a is inclined downward toward the rear and extends rearward of the second guide passage 92. Also, the vertical passage portion 91b is located on the rear end side of the arm 71.

[0063] The second guide passage 92 has a horizontal passage portion 92a that extends in the front-rear direction and a vertical passage portion 92b that extends upward short from the front end portion of the horizontal passage portion 92a. The horizontal passage portion 92a is inclined downward toward the rear and extends forward of the first guide passage 91. Specifically, the horizontal passage portion 92a extends forward to near the front end portion of the arm 71. The horizontal passage portion 92a extends parallel to the horizontal passage portion 91a of the first guide passage 91, and its passage length is longer than that of the horizontal passage portion 91a. Also, the vertical passage portion 92b is located near the front end portion of the arm 71 and is adjacent to the front end frame 73. The upper end portion of the vertical passage portion 92b is located at a position higher than the upper end portion of the vertical passage portion 91b of the first guide passage 91.

[0064] Note that each guide passage 91, 92 is formed in the concave portion 75 of the arm 71 and is disposed below the fixed frame 78 in the concave portion 75. Therefore, in the concave portion 75, the fixed frame 78 and each guide passage 91, 92 are arranged vertically.

[0065] Subsequently, the first shaft portion 93 and the second shaft portion 94 will be described. The first shaft portion 93 is constituted by the protruding portions 26a of the horizontal frame 26 of the first frame 11. Each first shaft portion 93 protrudes in a columnar shape toward the outside in the left - right direction and enters the first guide passage 91 of each arm 71. Thereby, each arm 71 and thus the basket placement portion 15 are rotatably connected to each first shaft portion 93. And the basket placement portion 15 can be flipped (switched) from the placement state to the flipped - up state by rotation around each first shaft portion 93. Also, each first shaft portion 93 is guided along the first guide passage 91. Note that the first shaft portion 93 corresponds to the "first connection portion".

[0066] Each first shaft portion 93 is located at the upper end portion of the vertical passage portion 91b of the first guide passage 91. The wall portion 95a that defines the upper end portion of the vertical passage portion 91b in the passage wall portion 95 has an upwardly convex arc shape. This wall portion 95a is in a state of being placed on the first shaft portion 93.

[0067] The second shaft portion 94 is formed of a round bar extending in the left - right direction. The second shaft portion 94 is fixed to the upper end side of each leg frame 35 of the second frame 12 via a fixing fitting 98 respectively. Each second shaft portion 94 protrudes in a columnar shape toward the outside in the left - right direction and enters the second guide passage 92 of each arm 71. Thereby, each arm 71 and thus the basket placement portion 15 are rotatably connected to each second shaft portion 94. And the basket placement portion 15 is configured to rotate around each second shaft portion 94. Also, each second shaft portion 94 is guided along the second guide passage 92. Note that the second shaft portion 94 corresponds to the "second connection portion".

[0068] Each second shaft portion 94 is located at the upper end of the vertical passage portion 92b of the second guide passage 92. In this case, each second shaft portion 94 is disposed adjacent to the front end frame 73 behind the front end frame 73. Also, the wall portion 96a that defines the upper end of the vertical passage portion 92b in the passage wall portion 96 has an upwardly convex arc shape. This wall portion 96a is in a state of being placed on the second shaft portion 94. Also, each second shaft portion 94 is disposed at a position higher than the first shaft portion 93.

[0069] As described above, since the first shaft portion 93 enters the vertical passage portion 91b of the first guide passage 91 and the second shaft portion 94 enters the vertical passage portion 92b of the second guide passage 92, the first shaft portion 93 and the second shaft portion 94 are restricted from being displaced toward each other. As a result, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are restricted from rotating relative to each other, and thus the deployed state of the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 is maintained. Also, since the wall portions 95a, 96a of the passage wall portions 95, 96 are placed on the first shaft portion 93 and the second shaft portion 94, respectively, each arm 71 and thus the basket placement portion 15 are supported by the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 via the shaft portions 93, 94.

[0070] As shown in FIGS. 8(a) and (b), the interlocking mechanism 90 further includes a portion 101 to be abutted provided on the first frame 11 and an abutting portion 102 provided on the arm 71. The portion 101 to be abutted is provided to protrude outward in the left-right direction from the connector 23 and is disposed below the first shaft portion 93 (see FIG. 7(a)). The protruding end of the portion 101 to be abutted is located inside the passage wall portions 95, 96 in the left-right direction, thereby avoiding interference with these passage wall portions 95, 96. In FIG. 8(a), for convenience of explanation, the portion 101 to be abutted is shown by a dotted line.

[0071] The contact portion 102 is a portion that contacts the contacted portion 101 while the basket placement portion 15 is being switched from the placeable state to the flipped-up state. The contact portion 102 is provided to protrude from the inner surface of the arm 71, and more specifically, it protrudes inward in the left-right direction from the passage wall portions 95 and 96. The contact portion 102 has a wall shape and is disposed behind the contacted portion 101.

[0072] Subsequently, the operation of the interlocking mechanism 90 described above will be explained. Here, with reference to FIG. 9, the operation when the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are switched from the deployed state to the folded state in conjunction with the switching of the basket placement portion 15 from the placeable state to the flipped-up state will be described. FIG. 9 is a side view showing the state where the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are switched from the deployed state to the folded state in conjunction with the switching of the basket placement portion 15 from the placeable state to the flipped-up state. In FIG. 9, the inner side in the left-right direction of the arm 71 is shown for the basket placement portion 15. Also, for the first frame 11 and the second frame 12, for the sake of convenience of explanation, they are shown by two-dot chain lines, and the first shaft portion 93 and the second shaft portion 94 are shown with dot hatching.

[0073] When the basket placement portion 15 is in the placeable state and the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are in the deployed state, that is, when the shopping cart 10 is in the deployed state (the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 4), as described above, the first shaft portion 93 is located in the vertical passage portion 91b of the first guide passage 91, and the second shaft portion 94 is located in the vertical passage portion 92b of the second guide passage 92 (see FIG. 8(a)).

[0074] As shown in Fig. 9(a), when the basket placement part 15 is flipped up from the placeable state, the basket placement part 15 is flipped up by rotating upward with the first shaft part 93 as the rotation axis. At this time, the first shaft part 93 remains positioned in the vertical passage part 91b. Along with the flipping up of the basket placement part 15, the second shaft part 94 is displaced downward in the vertical passage part 92b and enters the horizontal passage part 92a, and then is displaced rearward along the horizontal passage part 92a toward the first shaft part 93 side (in other words, the side approaching the first shaft part 93). And due to this displacement, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 shift from the deployed state to the folded state side. In this case, the second shaft part 94 corresponds to the "one connection part", and the first shaft part 93 corresponds to the "other connection part". Also, the second guide passage 92 corresponds to the "guide passage".

[0075] When the basket placement part 15 is flipped up to a predetermined position, the contact part 102 of the arm 71 contacts the contacted part 101 of the first frame 11. Fig. 9(a) shows this contacted state. In this contacted state, when the basket placement part 15 is further flipped up, the first shaft part 93 enters the horizontal passage part 91a from the vertical passage part 91b. And then, thereafter, the basket placement part 15 is flipped up by rotating upward with the first shaft part 93 that has entered the horizontal passage part 91a as the rotation center. And due to this flipping up, the basket placement part 15 eventually becomes the flipped-up state shown in Fig. 9(b). Also, during this flipping up, the second shaft part 94 is displaced toward the first shaft part 93 side along the horizontal passage part 92a, and due to this displacement, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are set to the folded state. In this way, when the basket placement part 15 is switched to the flipped-up state, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are switched to the folded state in conjunction with it.

[0076] Note that the contacted part 101 and the contact part 102 function as a guiding part for guiding the first shaft part 93 from the vertical passage part 91b to the horizontal passage part 91a when switching the basket placement part 15 from the placeable state to the flipped-up state.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 9(b), in the state where the car placement part 15 is flipped up, the first guide passage 91 and the second guide passage 92 (specifically, each horizontal passage part 91a, 92a) are each in a state of extending in the vertical direction. And at this time, the first shaft part 93 is located on the lower end side of the horizontal passage part 91a of the first guide passage 91, and the second shaft part 94 is located on the lower end side of the horizontal passage part 92a of the second guide passage 92. Also, at this time, the car placement part 15 is in a state of protruding upward from the upper end part of the first frame 11.

[0078] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9(c), the car placement part 15 is slid downward while remaining in the flipped-up state. Specifically, the car placement part 15 is slid downward along the extending direction of each guide passage 91, 92 (horizontal passage parts 91a, 92a). For this reason, during the sliding movement, each shaft part 93, 94 located in the horizontal passage parts 91a, 92a of each guide passage 91, 92 is in a stationary state. Therefore, during the sliding movement, the folded state of the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 is maintained. Also, relatively speaking, during the sliding movement, the first shaft part 93 is displaced upward in the horizontal passage part 91a, and the second shaft part 94 is displaced upward in the horizontal passage part 92a. And for the first shaft part 93, it reaches the upper end part of the horizontal passage part 91a and is in a state of abutting against the wall part 95b that defines the upper end part in the passage wall part 95. By sliding the car placement part 15 downward in this way, the upper end part of the car placement part 15 is positioned lower than the upper end part of the first frame 11 (see also FIGS. 3 and 5).

[0079] Note that the first guide passage 91 and the second guide passage 92 correspond to a "displacement mechanism" that displaces the car placement part 15 downward after the car placement part 15 is switched from the placeable state to the flipped-up state.

[0080] In the state of FIG. 9(c), the wall portion 95b of the passage wall portion 95 is placed on the first shaft portion 93. Therefore, the arm 71 and thus the basket placement portion 15 are supported by the first frame 11 via the first shaft portion 93. At this time, the second shaft portion 94 is located at the middle portion of the lateral passage portion 92a of the second guide passage 92. Specifically, the second shaft portion 94 is located above and rearward of the first shaft portion 93. In this case, the rotation of the basket placement portion 15 downward (in other words, forward) about the first shaft portion 93 is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suitably hold the basket placement portion 15 in a state of being flipped up.

[0081] Subsequently, the operation when the basket placement portion 15 is switched from the flipped-up state to the placeable state will be briefly described.

[0082] When the basket placement portion 15 is switched from the flipped-up state to the placeable state, first, the basket placement portion 15 is slid upward. At this time, the shaft portions 93 and 94 are each displaced downward in the lateral passage portions 91a and 92a of the guide passages 91 and 92. Then, the first shaft portion 93 reaches the lower end portion of the lateral passage portion 91a. Thereafter, the basket placement portion 15 is tilted downward, that is, toward the placeable state side. At this time, the basket placement portion 15 is tilted by being rotated downward about the first shaft portion 93. At this time, the second shaft portion 94 is displaced along the lateral passage portion 92a of the second guide passage 92 to the side away from the first shaft portion 93. Along with this, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 shift from the folded state to the unfolded state side.

[0083] When the second shaft portion 94 reaches the front end portion of the lateral passage portion 92a and the shaft portions 93 and 94 enter the vertical passage portions 91b and 92b from the lateral passage portions 91a and 92a, respectively, the basket placement portion 15 is set to the placeable state. Then, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are set to the unfolded state.

[0084] According to the configuration of the present embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

[0085] By providing the interlocking mechanism 90, when the basket placement part 15 is switched from the placeable state where the shopping basket K can be placed to the flipped-up state (the state where the placement part of the shopping basket K faces backward) flipped up toward the first frame 11 side, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are switched from the deployed state to the folded state in conjunction therewith. Thereby, the folding operation of the shopping cart 10 can be easily performed.

[0086] The interlocking mechanism 90 has a displacement mechanism (specifically, each guide passage 91, 92) that displaces the basket placement part 15 downward after switching the basket placement part 15 to the flipped-up state. In this case, in the flipped-up state of the basket placement part 15, it is possible to suppress the basket placement part 15 from protruding above the first frame 11. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the cart height when the shopping cart 10 is folded. Thereby, it is possible to suppress inconveniences such as the movement of the shopping cart 10 becoming difficult due to an increase in the cart height.

[0087] The first frame 11 has a lower frame 21, an upper frame 22, and a coupler 23 that connects both frames 21, 22. Further, both frames 21, 22 are connected by the coupler 23 with the upper frame 22 shifted backward with respect to the lower frame 21. In this case, a stepped space is formed on the front side of the upper frame 22 in a side view, and when the basket placement part 15 is in the flipped-up state, the basket placement part 15 is arranged using the stepped space. Thereby, it becomes possible to fold the shopping cart 10 in a well-balanced manner.

[0088] The interlocking mechanism 90 has a first shaft portion 93 provided on the first frame 11 to which the basket placement portion 15 is rotatably connected, a second shaft portion 94 provided on the second frame 12 to which the basket placement portion 15 is rotatably connected, and a second guide passage 92 provided on the basket placement portion 15 for guiding the second shaft portion 94 toward the first shaft portion 93 side. As the basket placement portion 15 is switched from the placeable state to the flipped-up state, the second shaft portion 94 is displaced along the second guide passage 92 toward the first shaft portion 93 side, so that the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are switched from the deployed state to the folded state. With such a configuration, the basket placement portion 15 can be interlocked with the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 without using a link member. Therefore, such interlocking can be realized while simplifying the configuration.

[0089] Since the second guide passage 92 for guiding the second shaft portion 94 is provided on each arm 71 of the basket placement portion 15, the folding of the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 in conjunction with the switching of the basket placement portion 15 to the flipped-up state can be performed in a stable state. Further, since the second guide passage 92 is provided inside the arms 71 in the left-right direction, it is possible to prevent a hand from touching the second shaft portion 94 that is displaced along the second guide passage 92.

[0090] The front-end frame 73 spanned over the front-end portions of the respective arms 71 is disposed in front of the second shaft portion 94. Further, a handle portion 81 is provided on the front-end frame 73. In this case, when the handle portion 81 is gripped to switch the basket placement portion 15 from the placeable state to the flipped-up state, it is easy to move the second shaft portion 94 toward the first shaft portion 93 side. As a result, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 can be smoothly brought into the folded state.

[0091] 〔Second Embodiment〕 Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the configuration mainly related to the interlocking mechanism is different from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, below, based on FIGS. 10 and 11, the configuration of the second embodiment will be described centering on the differences from the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the shopping cart 110 in the deployed state in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the shopping cart 110 in the deployed state. FIG. 12 is a side view showing the shopping cart 110 in the folded state. In FIGS. 11 and 12, for convenience, the bag 113 and the shopping basket K are shown by two-dot chain lines.

[0092] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the shopping cart 110 in the present embodiment has the same basic configuration as that of the first embodiment. That is, the shopping cart 110 includes a first frame 111, a second frame 112, a bag 113, a bag support portion 114, and a basket placement portion 115. The first frame 111 and the second frame 112 are arranged to intersect each other so as to form a substantially X shape in side view. The first frame 111 and the second frame 112 are rotatably connected at an intersection portion 128 where they intersect, and by this rotation, it can be switched between a deployed state (the state shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) that expands forward and backward and a folded state (the state shown in FIG. 12) that is folded forward and backward.

[0093] The first frame 111 has a lower frame 121, an upper frame 122, and a pair of left and right connectors 123 that connect the lower frame 121 and the upper frame 122. The lower frame 121 has a pair of leg frames 125 with front wheels 116 attached to their lower ends, and a cross frame 126 that connects the upper ends of the respective leg frames 125. Different from the first embodiment, the cross frame 126 is arranged below the basket placement portion 115 and is located behind the bag 113. Note that the front wheels 116 and the rear wheels 119 correspond to "wheels".

[0094] The upper frame 122 has a pair of left and right support frames 131 and a handle frame 132 installed on the upper end side of each support frame 131. The handle frame 132 constitutes an upper handle 117 and a lower handle 118.

[0095] Each connector 123 vertically connects the leg frame 125 and the support frame 131. In this case, the leg frame 125 and the support frame 131 are coaxially arranged, and in this arrangement state, both frames 125, 131 are connected by the connector 123. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the upper frame 122 is not displaced forward and backward with respect to the lower frame 121, and both frames 121, 122 are connected by the connector 123. Further, each connector 123 is provided with an overhanging portion 133 that protrudes forward from the leg frame 125 and the support frame 131. The overhanging portion 133 is provided with a frame-side mounting portion 134 on which the shopping basket K is placed, similar to the first embodiment. Note that the overhanging portion 133 corresponds to the "overhanging portion" described in the claims.

[0096] The second frame 112 has a pair of left and right leg frames 135 with a rear wheel 119 attached to the lower end portion, and a cross-frame member 136 that connects the lower end sides of each leg frame 135. Each leg frame 135 intersects the leg frame 125 of the first frame 111 in an X shape. Each of the leg frames 125, 135 is rotatably connected via a shaft portion 129 at an intersection portion 128 where they intersect. Thereby, as described above, the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 can be switched between an unfolded state and a folded state.

[0097] The bag 113 and the bag support portion 114 have the same configuration as the bag 13 and the bag support portion 14 in the above-described first embodiment. Therefore, the description thereof is omitted here.

[0098] Next, the configuration of the basket placement section 115 will be described with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13(a) is a perspective view showing the basket placement section 115, and FIG. 13(b) is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the connection portion between the basket placement section 115 and the second frame 112. Note that in FIG. 13(b), the illustration of the arm 141 is omitted.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 13(a), the basket placement section 115 has a frame shape and includes a pair of left and right arms 141 extending in the front-rear direction and a front-end frame 142 bridged over the front-end portions of the respective arms 141. Each arm 141 is made of resin and has a concave portion 145 that is open to the inner side in the left-right direction. A fixed frame 143 extending in the front-rear direction is fixed to the inner surface of each arm 141. The fixed frame 143 is fixed to the arm 141 while being housed in the concave portion 145.

[0100] The front-end frame 142 is made of resin and extends in the left-right direction. A through hole (not shown) penetrating in the length direction is formed in the front-end frame 142, and a shaft member 147 extending in the left-right direction is inserted into the through hole. Both end sides of the shaft member 147 are extension portions 147a extending beyond both ends of the front-end frame 142 (see FIG. 16(a)). Each of these extension portions 147a is connected to a bracket 151 fixed to the front-end portion of the fixed frame 143 by screws 152 (see FIG. 13(b)). Note that the screws 152 are screwed into screw holes 153 formed in the extension portions 147a (see FIG. 16(a)). Also, the front-end frame 142 corresponds to the "erection frame".

[0101] On the central side of the front frame 142, an overhanging portion 154 that projects rearward is provided. The overhanging portion 154 extends in the left - right direction, and its upper surface portion serves as a placement portion on which the shopping basket K is placed. In the present embodiment, the shopping basket K is placed so as to straddle the upper surface portion of the overhanging portion 154 and the upper surface portion of the frame - side placement portion 134 of each connecting tool 123. Further, the overhanging portion 154 is also used as a handle to be gripped when moving the basket placement portion 115. Also, on both end sides of the front frame 142, a pair of stoppers 155 that project upward are provided to prevent the shopping basket K from slipping off.

[0102] In the basket placement portion 115, the inner region surrounded by each arm 141 and the front frame 142 is an opening region 156. Through this opening region 156, it is possible to take things in and out of the bag 113 through the upper opening (not shown) of the bag 113.

[0103] The basket placement portion 115 can be switched between a first state (the state shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) in which the shopping basket K can be placed and a second state (the state shown in FIG. 12) in which the placement portion of the shopping basket K (specifically, the upper surface portion of the overhanging portion 154 of the front frame 142) faces rearward. When the basket placement portion 115 is switched to the second state, the basket placement portion 115 is retracted from above the bag 113 supported by the bag support portion 114.

[0104] The shopping cart 110 is provided with an interlocking mechanism 160 that switches the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 from the deployed state to the folded state in conjunction with the switching of the basket placement portion 115 from the first state to the second state. Therefore, hereinafter, such an interlocking mechanism 160 will be described based on FIG. 14 in addition to FIG. 13(a). Note that FIG. 14 is a side view of the arm 141 of the basket placement portion 115 viewed from the inside in the left - right direction.

[0105] As shown in FIGS. 13(a) and 14, the interlocking mechanism 160 includes a first shaft portion 161 that enables the cage placement portion 115 to rotate with respect to the first frame 111, a second shaft portion 162 that enables the cage placement portion 115 to rotate with respect to the second frame 112, and a guide passage 163 provided on the arm 141 of the cage placement portion 115 to guide the first shaft portion 161. In FIG. 14, for convenience of explanation, the first shaft portion 161 is shown with dot hatching.

[0106] First, the guide passage 163 will be described. The guide passage 163 is provided for each arm 141 and is formed on the inner side in the left-right direction of each arm 141. Each guide passage 163 is a groove-shaped passage that is open to the inner side in the left-right direction. On the inner surface of each arm 141, a passage wall portion 165 that forms the guide passage 163 protrudes. The passage wall portion 165 is formed so as to surround the guide passage 163.

[0107] The guide passage 163 extends in the front-rear direction and is inclined downward toward the rear as a whole. The guide passage 163 has a first passage portion 163a that extends linearly in the front-rear direction and a second passage portion 163b that bends downward from the rear end portion of the first passage portion 163a. The guide passage 163 is formed below the fixed frame 143 in the concave portion 145 of the arm 141, and the first passage portion 163a extends parallel to the fixed frame 143.

[0108] Next, the first shaft portion 161 will be described.

[0109] The first shaft portion 161 is provided on each connecting member 123 of the first frame 111. The first shaft portion 161 is a shaft extending in the left - right direction, and protrudes cylindrically outward in the left - right direction from the overhanging portion 133 of the connecting member 123. Each first shaft portion 161 enters into the guide passage 163 of each arm 141. Thereby, each arm 141 and thus the basket mounting portion 115 are rotatably connected to each first shaft portion 161. And the basket mounting portion 115 can be switched from the first state (the state shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) to the second state (the state shown in FIG. 12) by rotation about each first shaft portion 161. Also, each first shaft portion 161 is slidable along the guide passage 163. Note that the first shaft portion 161 corresponds to the "first connection portion".

[0110] The first shaft portion 161 is located at the rear end portion of the guide passage 163. Specifically, the first shaft portion 161 is located at the lower end portion (rear end portion) of the second passage portion 163b, in other words, at the end portion of the second passage portion 163b on the side opposite to the first passage portion 163a side. The arm 141 is provided with a first holding portion 167 for holding the first shaft portion 161 at the rear end portion of the guide passage 163. The first holding portion 167 is constituted by a part of the passage wall portion 165. Further, the arm 141 is also provided with a second holding portion 168 for holding the first shaft portion 161 at the front end portion of the guide passage 163. The second holding portion 168 is also constituted by a part of the passage wall portion 165.

[0111] Here, the first holding portion 167 and the second holding portion 168 will be described with reference to FIG. 15 in addition to FIG. 14. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing (a) an enlarged view of the first holding portion 167 and (b) an enlarged view of the second holding portion 168.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 14, the passage wall portion 165 includes a pair of side wall portions 165a and 165b that define the passage side surfaces on both sides of the guide passage 163, a rear end wall portion 165c that defines the rear end portion of the guide passage 163, and a front end wall portion 165d that defines the front end portion of the guide passage 163. Each of the side wall portions 165a and 165b extends in the longitudinal direction of the passage of the guide passage 163, and both the rear end wall portion 165c and the front end wall portion 165d are arc-shaped.

[0113] Of the side wall portions 165a and 165b, one side wall portion 165a (specifically, the upper side wall portion 165a) is continuous with the rear end wall portion 165c and the front end wall portion 165d, respectively, while the other side wall portion 165b (specifically, the lower side wall portion 165b) is discontinuous with the rear end wall portion 165c and the front end wall portion 165d, respectively. The side wall portion 165b is provided with mountain-shaped portions protruding toward the guide passage 163 on both ends thereof. Among these mountain-shaped portions, the mountain-shaped portion on the rear end side constitutes the first holding portion 167, and the mountain-shaped portion on the front end side constitutes the second holding portion 168.

[0114] The distance between the first holding portion 167 and the side wall portion 165a is smaller than the diameter of the first shaft portion 161. Thereby, when the first shaft portion 161 is located at the rear end portion of the guide passage 163, the forward displacement of the first shaft portion 161 is restricted. Also, the distance between the second holding portion 168 and the side wall portion 165a is smaller than the diameter of the first shaft portion 161. Thereby, when the first shaft portion 161 is located at the front end portion of the guide passage 163, the backward displacement of the first shaft portion 161 is restricted.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 15(a), a predetermined gap 181 is formed between the rear end side portion including the first holding portion 167 in the side wall portion 165b and the inner surface of the arm 141. Due to this gap 181, the rear end side portion is a flexible portion 182 that can be bent in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 165b. When the first shaft portion 161 displaces over the first holding portion 167 in the guide passage 163, the flexible portion 182 bends to the side opposite to the guide passage 163.

[0116] As shown in FIG. 15(b), a predetermined gap 183 is formed between the front-end side portion including the second holding portion 168 in the side wall portion 165b and the inner surface of the arm 141. Due to this gap 183, the front-end side portion has become a flexible portion 184 that can be bent in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 165b. When the first shaft portion 161 displaces over the second holding portion 168 in the guide passage 163, the flexible portion 184 bends to the side opposite to the guide passage 163.

[0117] Subsequently, the second shaft portion 162 will be described with reference to FIG. 16. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a state in which the second shaft portion 162 of the basket placement portion 115 is connected to the bracket 171 of the second frame 112, and (b) is a side view showing the same state. In FIGS. 16(a) and (b), for convenience of explanation, the illustration of the arm 141, the fixed frame 143, and the bracket 151 is omitted.

[0118] As described above, the shaft member 147 is inserted inside the front-end frame 142 of the basket placement portion 115, and both end sides of the shaft member 147 are respectively the extension portions 147a. Then, as shown in FIGS. 16(a) and (b), the second shaft portion 162 is constituted by these extension portions 147a. The second shaft portion 162 is a substantially columnar shaft extending in the left-right direction. Specifically, a part of the outer peripheral surface of the second shaft portion 162 is a pair of flat portions 162a parallel to each other, and these flat portions 162a are arranged before and after sandwiching the central axis.

[0119] Brackets 171 are respectively fixed to the upper ends of the leg frames 135 of the second frame 112. A shaft hole portion 173 through which the second shaft portion 162 is inserted is formed in the bracket 171. The shaft hole portion 173 has an irregular shape having a circular region 173a having a circular shape and an extension region 173b extending downward from the circular region 173a. The diameter of the circular region 173a is slightly larger than the diameter of the second shaft portion 162. Also, the width of the extension region 173b is smaller than the diameter of the second shaft portion 162 and slightly larger than the interval between the flat portions 162a of the second shaft portion 162.

[0120] Each bracket 171 of the second frame 112 is disposed in a state of being sandwiched between the end of the front frame 142 of the basket placement portion 115 and the fixed frame 143 (see Fig. 13(b)). The second shaft portions 162 are respectively inserted into the shaft hole portions 173 of the respective brackets 171. Thereby, the basket placement portion 115 is rotatably connected to the bracket 171 (specifically, the shaft hole portion 173) of the second frame 112 via the second shaft portion 162. Note that the shaft hole portion 173 corresponds to the "second connection portion".

[0121] Specifically, at least a part of the second shaft portion 162 is vertically displaceable between a lower position where at least a part thereof is located in the extension region 173b of the shaft hole portion 173 and an upper position where the whole is located in the circular region 173a of the shaft hole portion 173. Fig. 16(a) shows the case where the second shaft portion 162 is in the lower position, and Fig. 16(b) shows the case where the second shaft portion 162 is in the upper position. The displacement of the second shaft portion 162 is performed by the rotation of the basket placement portion 115 about the first shaft portion 161.

[0122] The second shaft portion 162 is normally located at the lower position. When the second shaft portion 162 is located at the lower position, the rotation of the basket placement portion 115 about the second shaft portion 162 is restricted. On the other hand, when the second shaft portion 162 is located at the upper position, the rotation of the basket placement portion 115 about the second shaft portion 162 is allowed. Note that the lower position of the second shaft portion 162 can also be referred to as a restricted position where the rotation of the basket placement portion 115 is restricted, and the upper position of the second shaft portion 162 can also be referred to as a release position where the rotation restriction is released.

[0123] Subsequently, with respect to the folded state of the shopping cart 110 in which the basket placement portion 115 is in the second state and the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 are in the folded state, an explanation will be given based on Figs. 12 and 17. Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing the periphery of the upper end portion of the basket placement portion 115 in the folded state of the shopping cart 110.

[0124] As shown in FIG. 12, in the folded state of the shopping cart 110 (i.e., the second state of the basket placement part 115), the basket placement part 115 is arranged in a direction extending vertically along the first frame 111. In this case, the front end frame 142 of the basket placement part 115 is placed on each connecting tool 123 of the first frame 111. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 17, each connecting tool 123 is formed with a recess 175 recessed downward, and the front end frame 142 is placed in the recess 175.

[0125] The front end frame 142 is provided with protruding pieces 176 protruding from both left and right ends. Each protruding piece 176 is formed with a small hole 177 (see FIGS. 16(a) and (b)). In the folded state of the shopping cart 110, each protruding piece 176 is arranged opposite to the overhanging part 133 of the connecting tool 123, and at the opposing part, a dowel (not shown) provided on the overhanging part 133 enters the small hole 177 of the protruding piece 176. Thereby, the basket placement part 115 is held in the second state.

[0126] Next, the operation of the above-described interlocking mechanism 160 will be described. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 18, the operation when the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 are switched from the deployed state to the folded state in conjunction with the switching of the basket placement part 115 from the first state to the second state will be described. FIG. 18 is a side view showing the state where the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 are switched from the deployed state to the folded state in conjunction with the switching of the basket placement part 115 from the first state to the second state. In FIG. 18, the inner side in the left-right direction of the arm 141 of the basket placement part 115 is shown. Also, for the convenience of explanation, the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 are shown by a two-dot chain line, and the first shaft part 161 is shown with dot hatching.

[0127] When the car mounting portion 115 is in the first state and the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 are in the unfolded state, as shown in FIG. 18(a), the first shaft portion 161 is located at the rear end of the guide passage 163, and the second shaft portion 162 is located at the lower position (see FIG. 16(a)). When the car mounting portion 115 is switched from the first state to the second state, the car mounting portion 115 (more specifically, the front end side of the car mounting portion 115) is rotated upward about the first shaft portion 161. First, when the car mounting portion 115 is rotated slightly upward from the first state, the second shaft portion 162 is displaced from the lower position to the upper position (see FIG. 16(b)), and the car mounting portion 115 becomes rotatable about the second shaft portion 162.

[0128] Thereafter, when the car mounting portion 115 is further rotated upward, the first shaft portion 161 is displaced forward in the guide passage 163, climbing over the first holding portion 167 from the rear end, as shown in FIG. 18(b). That is, the first shaft portion 161 is displaced along the guide passage 163 toward the second shaft portion 162 (in other words, the shaft hole portion 173 of the bracket 171). This displacement causes the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 to move from the unfolded state to the folded state. In addition, the first shaft portion 161 is displaced along the guide passage 163 toward the second shaft portion 162 (the shaft hole portion 173), so that the car mounting portion 115 is displaced downward with respect to the first shaft portion 161. The guide passage 163 corresponds to the "displacement mechanism."

[0129] In addition, as the car mounting portion 115 rotates upward about the first shaft portion 161, the car mounting portion 115 rotates about the second shaft portion 162 toward the side where it is folded relative to the second frame 112. In other words, when viewed with the second shaft portion 162 as the rotation center, the car mounting portion 115 rotates downward.

[0130] The basket placement part 115 will eventually transition to the second state as shown in Fig. 18(c). At this time, the first shaft part 161 overrides the second holding part 168 in the guide passage 163 and reaches the front end part (the upper end part in the second state of the basket placement part 115). And at this time, the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 are in a folded state. Note that in the folded state of each frame 111, 112, the second shaft part 162 is above the first shaft part 161 and is located behind the first shaft part 161. Also, in this case, the upper end part of the basket placement part 115 is located at a position lower than the upper end part of the first frame 111.

[0131] Subsequently, the operation when the basket placement part 115 is switched from the second state to the first state will be briefly described.

[0132] When the basket placement part 115 is switched from the second state to the first state, first, the basket placement part 115 is pushed upward, so that the holding of the first shaft part 161 by the second holding part 168 is released. That is, in this case, the first shaft part 161 overrides the second holding part 168 in the guide passage 163 and is displaced downward.

[0133] After that, the upper end side of the basket placement part 115 is rotated forward around the first shaft part 161. During this rotation, the first shaft part 161 is displaced rearward along the guide passage 163, that is, to the side away from the second shaft part 162. And with this displacement, the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 transition from the folded state to the unfolded state side.

[0134] When the first shaft part 161 overrides the first holding part 167 in the guide passage 163 and reaches the rear end part, the basket placement part 115 is set to the first state. And the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 are set to the unfolded state. Also, the second shaft part 162 is displaced from the upper position (see Fig. 16(b)) to the lower position (see Fig. 16(a)).

[0135] According to the configuration of the present embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

[0136] By providing the interlocking mechanism 160, when the basket placement part 115 is switched from the first state where the shopping basket K can be placed to the second state where the placement part of the shopping basket K faces backward, the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 are switched from the deployed state to the folded state in conjunction with this. Thereby, the folding operation of the shopping cart 110 can be easily performed.

[0137] The interlocking mechanism 160 includes a first shaft portion 161 provided on the first frame 111 to which the basket placement part 115 is rotatably connected, a shaft hole portion 173 provided on the second frame 112 to which the basket placement part 115 is rotatably connected, and a guide passage 163 provided on the basket placement part 115 for guiding the first shaft portion 161 (corresponding to one connection portion) to the shaft hole portion 173 side (corresponding to the other connection portion side). And as the basket placement part 115 is switched from the first state to the second state, the first shaft portion 161 is displaced along the guide passage 163 toward the shaft hole portion 173 side, so that the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 are switched from the deployed state to the folded state. In this case, the basket placement part 115 can be interlocked with the first frame 111 and the second frame 112 without using a link member. Therefore, such interlocking can be realized while avoiding complication of the configuration due to the use of a link member.

[0138] When the basket placement part 115 is switched from the first state to the second state, in the above configuration where the first shaft part 161 is displaced toward the shaft hole part 173 along the guide passage 163 of the basket placement part 115, when the basket placement part 115 is switched from the first state to the second state, the basket placement part 115 will be displaced rearward and downward with respect to the first shaft part 161. Therefore, in the above embodiment, it can be said that the interlocking mechanism 160 has a displacement mechanism (specifically, the guide passage 163) that displaces the basket placement part 115 downward when the basket placement part 115 is switched from the first state to the second state. Thereby, when the basket placement part 115 is in the second state, it is possible to suppress the basket placement part 115 from protruding above the first frame 111. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the cart height during folding. In this case, the self-standing stability of the shopping cart 10 is enhanced and the shopping cart 10 is less likely to fall over, and even a user with a short stature can easily perform cart operation.

[0139] The guide passage 163 has a first passage part 163a that linearly extends in the front-rear direction and a second passage part 163b that bends downward from the rear end part of the first passage part 163a. In this case, when the basket placement part 115 is switched from the first state to the second state, first, the first shaft part 161 is displaced upward along the second passage part 163b. At this time, while the rear end side of the basket placement part 115 is displaced downward, the basket placement part 115 moves to the second state side, so that the basket placement part 115 can be smoothly moved to the second state side while suppressing the basket placement part 115 from protruding rearward of the first frame 111.

[0140] A projecting part 133 that projects forward is provided on a coupler 123 provided at an intermediate part of the first frame 111, and the first shaft part 161 is provided on the projecting part 133. Thereby, when the basket placement part 115 is switched from the first state to the second state, it is possible to suppress the rear end side of the basket placement part 115 from protruding rearward of the first frame 111.

[0141] Since only the first connecting part (the first shaft part 161) out of the first connecting part and the second connecting part is configured to be guided along the guide passage 163, it is possible to simplify the configuration, for example, by stating that the guide passage corresponding to the second connecting part is not provided.

[0142] [Other Embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may be implemented, for example, as follows.

[0143] (1) In the above first embodiment, the first guide passage 91 extending in the front-rear direction is provided in the arm 71 of the basket placement part 15, and the first shaft part 93 guided along the first guide passage 91 is provided in the first frame 11. However, these configurations may be changed. For example, an insertion hole into which the first shaft part 93 is inserted may be provided in the arm 71 instead of the first guide passage 91. Also in this case, after the basket placement part 15 is inserted into the insertion hole and the first shaft part 93 is used as a rotation axis to rotate upward (in other words, toward the first frame 11 side), the basket placement part 15 is flipped up (switched) from the placed state to the flipped-up state. And with this switching, the second shaft part 94 is displaced toward the first shaft part 93 side along the second guide passage 92, and due to this displacement, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are switched from the deployed state to the folded state. However, in such a configuration, after the basket placement part 15 is flipped up, it becomes impossible to slide the basket placement part 15 downward. Therefore, in view of this point, it is desirable to provide the first guide passage 91 in the arm 71.

[0144] (2) In each of the above embodiments, the interlocking mechanisms 90 and 160 that interlock the basket placement portions 15 and 115 with the first frames 11 and 111 and the second frames 12 and 112 were realized without using link members, but they may also be realized using link members. For example, in the above first embodiment, instead of the configuration having the guide passages 91 and 92 and the shaft portions 93 and 94, the interlocking mechanism may be configured to have a link portion that connects the front end side of the arm 71 and the upper end side of the second frame 12 (leg frame 35). In this case, as the link portion, a member that can be bent at its intermediate portion and can be deformed between a bent state and a deployed state is used, and both ends of the link portion are rotatably connected to the front end side of the arm 71 and the upper end side of the second frame 12, respectively. And when the basket placement portion 15 is in a state where it can be placed and the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are in a deployed state, the link portion is bent so as to be opened forward.

[0145] In such a configuration, when the basket placement portion 15 is switched from a state where it can be placed to a state of being bounced up, the link portion is in a deployed state where it is deployed vertically, and accordingly, the upper end side of the second frame 12 connected to the link portion is displaced toward the first frame 11 side. And due to that displacement, the first frame 11 and the second frame 12 are switched from a deployed state to a folded state. Therefore, even in such a configuration, an interlocking mechanism can be realized in which the frames 11 and 12 are switched from a deployed state to a folded state in conjunction with the basket placement portion 15 being switched from a state where it can be placed to a state of being bounced up.

[0146] (3) In the above first embodiment, in addition to the horizontal passage portions 91a and 92a in the first guide passage 91 and the second guide passage 92, the vertical passage portions 91b and 92b were provided, but the vertical passage portions 91b and 92b may not be provided. In this case, in the folded state of the first frame 11 and the second frame 12, the first shaft portion 93 is located at the rear end portion of the first guide passage 91 (horizontal passage portion 91a), and the second shaft portion 94 is located at the front end portion of the second guide passage 92 (horizontal passage portion 92a).

[0147] (4) In each of the above embodiments, in conjunction with the basket placement portions 15 and 115 being switched from the first state (specifically, the placeable state in the first embodiment) to the second state (specifically, the flipped-up state in the first embodiment), the first frames 11 and 111 and the second frames 12 and 112 are switched from the deployed state to the folded state. However, conversely, in conjunction with the first frame and the second frame being switched from the deployed state to the folded state, a configuration may be adopted in which the basket placement portion is switched from the first state to the second state.

[0148] For example, in the configuration of (3) above, a handle is provided on the horizontal frame 37 of the second frame 12, and by moving the second frame 12 backward toward the first frame 11 with the handle, it is conceivable to switch each of the frames 11 and 12 from the deployed state to the folded state. In this case, when the second frame 12 is moved toward the first frame 11, the second shaft portion 94 is displaced along the second guide passage 92 toward the first shaft portion 93. Along with this displacement, the basket placement portion 15 is flipped up toward the first frame 11 from the placeable state and switched to the flipped-up state. Therefore, according to such a configuration, an interlocking mechanism can be realized in which, in conjunction with each of the frames 11 and 12 being switched from the deployed state to the folded state, the basket placement portion 15 is switched from the placeable state to the flipped-up state.

[0149] (5) In each of the above embodiments, the basket placement portions 15 and 115 are formed in a frame shape, but the basket placement portion may be formed in a plate shape. In this case, since the basket placement portion has no arms, for example, a guide passage is provided on the lower surface side of the basket placement portion.

[0150] (6) In the second embodiment above, the second shaft portion 162 of the basket placement portion 115 is inserted into the shaft hole portion 173 (corresponding to the second connection portion) of the second frame 112. However, conversely, a shaft portion may be provided on the second frame 112 side, and a shaft hole portion into which the shaft portion is inserted may be provided on the basket placement portion 115 side. In this case, the shaft portion corresponds to the "second connection portion" to which the basket placement portion 115 is rotatably connected.

[0151] (7) In the second embodiment described above, a cover may be provided to cover the concave portion 145 of the arm 141 from the inner side in the left - right direction. Further, in such a configuration, instead of providing the passage wall portion 165 on the inner surface of the arm 141, a passage wall portion (guide passage) may be provided on the cover.

[0152] (8) In each of the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to the shopping cart 10 with the bag 13, but the present invention may also be applied to a shopping cart without the bag 13. Further, in other words, the present invention may be applied to a shopping cart without the bag support portion 14 for supporting the bag 13.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0153] 10… Shopping cart, 11… First frame, 12… Second frame, 13… Bag, 14… Bag support portion, 15… Basket placement portion, 21… Lower frame, 22… Upper frame, 23… Connector, 71… Arm, 90… Interlocking mechanism, 91… First guide passage, 92… Second guide passage as a guide passage, 93… First shaft portion as a first connection portion, 94… Second shaft portion as a second connection portion, 110… Shopping cart, 111… First frame, 112… Second frame, 113… Bag, 114… Bag support portion, 115… Basket placement portion, 133… Protruding portion, 141… Arm, 160… Interlocking mechanism, 161… First shaft portion as a first connection portion, 163… Guide passage, 163a… First passage portion, 163b… Second passage portion, 173… Shaft hole portion as a second connection portion.

Claims

1. a first frame with a front wheel attached to its lower end and a handle provided on the upper end side, and a second frame with a rear wheel attached to its lower end, wherein the first frame and the second frame are arranged to intersect each other so as to form a substantially X shape in side view, and are rotatably connected at the intersecting portion, so that it can be switched between an unfolded state extended front and rear and a folded state folded front and rear, furthermore, a shopping cart provided with a basket placement portion provided across the first frame and the second frame above the intersecting portion, on which a shopping basket is placed, wherein the basket placement portion can be switched between a first state in which a shopping basket can be placed and a second state in which the placement portion of the shopping basket faces backward, and a linkage mechanism for switching the first frame and the second frame from the unfolded state to the folded state in conjunction with the switching of the basket placement portion from the first state to the second state, the linkage mechanism comprising: a first connection portion provided on the first frame and rotatably connected to the basket placement portion so as to enable the basket placement portion to be switched from the first state to the second state, a second connection portion provided on the second frame and rotatably connected to the basket placement portion so as to enable the basket placement portion to be switched from the first state to the second state, and a guide passage provided on the basket placement portion for guiding either one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion to the other connection portion side, wherein, as the basket placement portion is switched from the first state to the second state, the one connection portion is displaced along the guide passage to the other connection portion side, so that the first frame and the second frame are switched from the unfolded state to the folded state. A shopping cart.

2. The linkage mechanism is: A displacement mechanism for displacing the basket placement portion downward when the basket placement portion is switched from the first state to the second state or after the switching. The shopping cart according to claim 1.

3. The guide passage serves as a passage for guiding the first connection portion to the second connection portion side. As the basket placement part is switched from the first state to the second state, the first connecting part is displaced along the guide passage toward the second connecting part side, so that the first frame and the second frame are switched from the unfolded state to the folded state. The shopping cart according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The guide passage has a first passage part extending linearly in the front-rear direction and a second passage part bending downward from the rear end part of the first passage part. When the basket placement part is in the first state, the first connecting part is located at the end part on the side opposite to the first passage part in the second passage part. The shopping cart according to claim 3.

5. The first frame is provided with an overhanging part projecting forward at an intermediate part thereof. The first connecting part is provided on the overhanging part. The shopping cart according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The basket placement part has a pair of left and right arms extending in the front-rear direction and a bridging frame provided across the respective arms. The guide passage is provided on the inner side in the left-right direction of each of the arms. The shopping cart according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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